Monday, June 6, 2011

Scandinavian sights, Part 3: Geirangerfjord

We didn't get to see many more animals or plants up close on our trip, but I can't close my account of Norway without showing a little of Geiranger. It's no wonder this fjord is so famous, with views like this:

We spent the whole day of our stay here ooh-ing and ah-ing at the landscape, and this alone would've pretty much made the whole trip worthwhile.

The scenery was gorgeous, and the wildlife was cool, too. There were eagles soaring over the fjord (I didn't manage to get any clear pictures of them), and smaller birds flitting around in the trees. This cute White Wagtail was nice enough to pose for me in Geiranger village while we were running (literally) from one scheduled excursion to another:

And the mountainsides were carpeted with wildflowers. I was particularly struck by these luminous Eurasian Bunchberry blooms (Cornus suecica):

While in Geiranger, we took a bus right up the side of the fjord, to the top of one of the neighboring mountains, Dalsnibba, 1500 meters above sea level. As we drove higher, all the greens and blues of the lush forests below were gradually replaced with browns and purples, grays and whites. The clouding skies (and even a snowstorm) made this seem even more like an alien world:

The only wildlife we saw up here were mosses and lichens, making furry purple coats on the rocks. When I look at this picture, I can't help seeing a sleeping creature, half buried in the snow:

Paul and I agreed that we could've easily spent another couple of days in Geiranger and never gotten bored -- we passed several walking trails in the mountains just begging to be explored, but of course we didn't have time. But maybe someday we'll return. Norway is definitely a place worth visiting, and I would gladly take a chance to go back!

About Me

I am a young professional living in central New York (previously Northern California, Northeastern Ohio, and Southwestern Connecticut), and I love to explore wild places and see the creatures that live there. I consider myself reasonably knowledgeable about wild flora and fauna -- the result of a childhood spent running wild in the woods of upstate New York and devouring any nature books and videos I could get my hands on -- but I am an amateur and constantly learning new things. My blog is about exploration and excitement in the natural world.